Inquest told of tunnel death teen's love of art

The Glebe Coroner's Court in Sydney has heard that a 'love of painting' led to the death of a teenage graffiti tagger in 2012.

The New South Wales Coroner is investigating the death of 18-year-old Tre Toman in January 2012.

The second year plumbing apprentice had jumped a fence and was spraying graffiti with two 17-year-old friends in a train tunnel near Lewisham, in Sydney's inner west, when he was hit by a citybound train and killed.

In the opening statements, the Coroner has been told that Tre Toman loved painting, both legally and illegally and that his passion led directly to his death.

One of his friends, who cannot be named, has told the inquest he met Tre at a legal graffiti site when he was ten.

He says their group of friends turned to illegal tagging when councils starting shutting down legal walls.

The friend said the group of three boys did not consider the risks of painting in the tunnel at Lewisham and went there because the wall had been painted over and was 'fresh.'

One of the first police officers on the scene has told the inquest that night trains in the area are 'quick and quiet.'

Leading senior officer Sarah Jessup said two other police officers at the site looking for Tre Toman's body did not hear a train approaching until she yelled a warning, and that those officers were missed by just inches.

The Coroner, Mary Jerram says this inquest is not about blaming anyone for the teenager's death, but developing recommendations to prevent further tragedies.

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